Title: Steamed Spiced Mackerel in Banana Leaves (Pepes Pindang Tongkol)
Ingredients:
- 12 small pieces of mackerel steaks
- Several banana leaves for wrapping
- Salt
- Sugar
- Optional: seasoning (to taste)
- Basil leaves
- 2 torn bay leaves
- 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised and cut into 3 cm pieces
- Toothpicks for securing the banana leaves
- 5 green tomatoes, roughly chopped
Spice Paste:
- 12 shallots
- 6 cloves garlic
- 6 candlenuts
- 2 turmeric roots
- 20 red bird’s eye chilies
- 10 red chilies
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 piece ginger
- 1 piece galangal
Steps:
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Rinse the mackerel steaks with hot water and then rinse with cold water to remove the fishy smell. Lightly fry them to prevent crumbling when mixed with the spice paste.
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Prepare banana leaves, cut to size for wrapping the fish.
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Mix the fried mackerel with the spice paste, then add tomatoes, bay leaves, basil leaves, and lemongrass. Combine everything thoroughly.
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Season with salt, sugar, and optional seasoning to taste. Mix well and adjust seasoning as needed before wrapping in banana leaves.
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Take a banana leaf and spoon the seasoned fish mixture onto it. Wrap it like a parcel or a rice dumpling, securing with toothpicks.
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Steam the pepes wrapped in banana leaves for 45-60 minutes until the aroma of the spices permeates and the fish is fully cooked. This allows the flavors to meld and removes any raw spice smell.
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Just before serving, you can enjoy the pepes as is or grill briefly according to preference.
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Don’t forget to re-cook if necessary. Enjoy your cooking adventure!
Notes: Pepes Pindang Tongkol is a traditional Indonesian dish where mackerel is seasoned with a rich spice paste, wrapped in banana leaves, and steamed or grilled to perfection.
